Still shambling the streets of the city Nelson Algren defined, I am the Monster in a madhouse refined. Burma Shave.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Get Into The Pit & Try To Love Someone

On the way to voting Tuesday, I took my camera because I knew I'd be passing by an old landmark from where I used to live. I moved to 85th & Springfield (one block east of Pulaski) in June of 1966 and Rosario's, up a block at 86th, was where the entire neighborhood bought their lunch meat. I had to go there often to pick up meat and jars of olives and pickles, but never had reason to look at the sign itself. You just knew where the place was. Well, as I got older, I did take a good look at the sign. It lights up at night, each pig separately, but it really doesn't photograph well. But here you have it, pig after happy pig, jumping into the meat grinder. Gotta love this city, man.

We have a local barbecue chain called, simply enough, "Bill's (Virginia) Barbecue." Their logo features a couple of smiling pigs merrily stirring a plate of shredded meat.

One day I was in the car with my vegetarian friend Anne and her obligate carnivore husband Tad, listening to them badger one another about their food preferences. When we passed a Bill's Tad got all excited, saying "Look! Look! See? They're happy to die for us!"